Composite receptacle



Nov. 15, 1966 T. R.- SANTELLI COMPOSITE RECEPTACLE Original Filed Sept.14, 1962 INVENTOR. T. R SANTELLI BY im ATTORN EYS United States Patent3,285,461 QOMPQSITE RECEPTACLE Thomas R. Santelli, Sylvania, Ohio,assignor to Owens- Illinois lnc. a corporation of Ohio Continuation ofapplication Ser- No. 223,698, Sept. 14, 1962. This application Apr. 6,1964, Ser. No. 357,683 4 Claims. (Cl. 220-17) This application is acontinuation of my co-pending application Serial No. 223,698, filedSeptember 14, 1962, and entitled, Composite Receptacle.

My invention is a composite receptacle comprising a relatively rigidshell and a plastic container secured within the shell and incorporatinga mouth portion.

There are some kinds of merchandise which can be packaged safely andsatisfactorily only in plastic containers, formed for example ofpolyethylene and which will detrimentally affect or be detrimentallyaffected by glass bottles or jars, and perhaps containers formed fromother materials.

It is therefore an object of my invention to provide a plastic containerutilizing a minimum amount of plastic material, and encase andeffectively support this container in a relatively rigid shell which, ifdesired, may, after dispensing of the packaged commodity be easilyseparated from the container and used for various purposes. Thus theshell performs a readily recognized twofold function.

A further object of my invention is the provision of a compositereceptacle in which the exterior or shell element is a conventionalglass tumbler or perhaps a widemouth jar and the container, viz theinner member which directly contacts the commodity packaged, is formedof a plastic material such as polyethylene and wherein the two elementsare in intimate contact with each other substantially continuouslythroughout their length and breadth.

It is likewise an important object of my invention to provide novel,effective air-venting means functioning to allow escape of air frombetween the two elements incident to either initial assembling thereofor incident to filling of the package with a commodity, such in someinstances being the step, which for the first time, distends thecontainer to the form of the shell interior.

Other objects will be in part apparent and in part pointed outhereinafter.

In the accompanying application:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view, partly in section showing a compositereceptacle embodying my invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional view illustrating holdingmeans for releasably securing the shell and inner container in assembledrelationship and additionally showing an air-venting means;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken at the line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a view like FIG. 2 showing another form of holding means andair-vent; and

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken at the line FIG. 4.

In the illustrated embodiment of my invention shown in FIGS. 1-3, thereceptacle comprises a shell in the form of a conventional or anypreferred form of glass tumbler T, including a bottom and cylinder-likeupstanding side wall 11 which may either be tapered or straight and, ineither event, terminates in an annular, mouth-defining rim. This rim maybe plain or if preferred, formed as a continuous bead 12 which mayproject either or both inwardly and outwardly radially but, in eitherevent, aids in holding the parts releasably assembled, as will becomeabundantly clear, presently.

Within this shell, (the tumbler T) is a primary condrawings forming apart of my "ice tainer 14 with which the commodity being packaged hasdirect contact. This container is formed of a plastic material such forexample as polyethylene, or one having like general characteristics.Such container may well be formed through resort to conventional,combined injection molding and tube drawing practice, in accordance withwhich I form first a collar-like holding element 15 by injecting ameasured quantity of the plastic material into a mold (not shown) andthen draw, sever and end seal an elongated tube 16 or body as anintegral part of said element 15. Other methods of and apparatus forproducing this inner container may well be utilized.

This container, in the form illustrated, comprises the holding collar 15or ring, which is of such external diameter to be snugly received Withinthe tumbler mouth so as to be frictionally held therein againstaccidental displacement. The bead 12 about the rim will press into thecollar (FIG. 2) and thus aid materially in holding the elementsassembled. The collar may well have a tapered guiding surface 17 whichis located exteriorly about its lower margin to facilitate insertion ofthe collar into the tumbler mouth. An air-vent channel 18 extendstransversely of the axial width of the collar, externally thereof, toallow escape of air from the tumbler as the container is placed withinthe latter. Thus air entrapment between the container and tumbler to anyappreciable extent, is avoided.

It is apparent that in that form of my invention shown in FIGS. 1-3, thecontainer 14 is telescoped into the tumbler T and with snug fitting ofthe collar 15 in the tumbler mouth, these parts will be releasably yetsecurely held against accidental separation. The main body of thecontainer may be of quite thin wall thickness and capable of collapsefor packaging and shipment to the consumer who then assembles suchcontainers and tumblers preparatory to filling and closing.Alternatively, the wall thickness may be adequate to create a semi-rigidstructure and in this event the contour and dimensions would be such asto insure substantially continuous contact with the inner surface of thetumbler T. Upon consumption of the package contents, the container 14may easily be removed and the tumbler used in conventional fashion. Theannular shoulder 19 provides means facilitating pressing the collar intoplace.

In FIGS. 4 and 5, I have shown the holding collar 20 for the container14a provided with an annular radial flange 21 the underside of which isformed with a circumferential channel 22 to receive the bead 23 on thetumbler rim. This channel 22 is so formed that its side walls createjaws 22a yielding gripping the bead 23 between them. An air-vent in theform of a transverse channel 24 in the channel wall extends over thehead 23, performing the identical function of the vent 18 abovedescribed. Here again, the collar has a tapered guiding surface 25 toaid one in assembling the tumbler T and container.

Modifications may be resorted to within the scope of the appendedclaims.

I claim:

1. A package containing a commodity and comprising a rigid externalshell having a bottom and a cylinder-like body rising and flaring fromsaid bottom to a relatively wide mouth, an annular internal bead at themouth end of the package, an initially collapsed thin-wall bag-likeinner container formed of a thermoplastic material, said containerdistended into intimate contact with the shell by the packaged commodityand a relatively thick collarlike element forming an integral part ofthe container for releasable holding engagement with said bead, saidelement having a vent-channel for the escape of air from within theshell concurrently with distension of the baglike container.

2. A composite receptacle comprising an external relatively rigid shellhaving a bottom and a continuous upstanding side-Wall having at itsupper end a mouth of about the same diameter as the shell proper, athin-Wall thermoplastic container within said shell and at least in partin intimate contact with the interior surface of the shell and meansreleasably securing the shell and container assembled comprising anannular internal bead at the mouth of the shell and a thickenedcollar-like portion on the container in which the bead is at least inpart embedded.

3. A receptacle as defined in claim 2 further including an air ventchannel formed between said mouth and said collar-like portion.

4. A composite receptacle comprising an external rela tively rigid shellhaving a bottom and a continuous upstanding sidewall terminating at itsupper end in an annu- 5 to the shell.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,859,085 11/1958Morrison 215-12 10 2,941,689 6/1960 Black 220 -63 3,028,039 4/ 1962Clark 22044 THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner.

15 G. T. HALL, Assistant Examiner.

1. A PACKAGE CONTAINING A COMMODITY AND COMPRISING A RIGID EXTERNALSHELL HAVING A BOTTOM AND A CYLINDER-LIKE BODY RISING AND FLARING FROMSAID BOTTOM TO A RELATIVELY WIDE MOUTH, AN ANNULAR INTERNAL BEAD AT THEMOUTH END OF THE PACKAGE, AN INITIALLY COLLAPSED THIN-WALL BAG-LIKEINNER CONTAINER FORMED OF A THERMOPLASTIC MATERIAL, SAID CONTAINERDISTENDED INTO INTIMATE CONTACT WITH THE SHELL BY THE PACKAGED COMMODITYAND A RELATIVELY THICK COLLARLIKE ELEMENT FORMING AN INTEGRAL PART OFTHE CONTAINER FOR RELEASABLE HOLDING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID BEAD, SAIDELEMENT HAVING A VENT-CHANNEL FOR THE ESCAPE OF AIR FROM WITHIN THESHEEL CONCURRENTLY WITH DISTENSION OF THE BAGLIKE CONTAINER.